Caughtya™

Big Rubber Chicken parked in accessible parking spaces.

This huge rubber chicken was placed on two mobility parking spaces at Grandy's in Plano, TX on October 16, 2006.

[tags]Disability, Parking, Disability+Parking, Infraction, Accessible, Violation, Mobility, United+States, Texas [/tags]

Other details, if available

While out today I decided to drop by one of our local fast-food places for lunch. Parked in both Handicapped Parking spaces was a Big Rubber Chicken. I called my local Police Department and explained that I am sure they would think I was crazy for making this report, but they galdly took my comnplaint. I sent a e-mail to the "Grandy's" corporate office via their complaint form and quickly received a reply attached below. The reply states there are other HC parking spaces available, but the is completely false. These are the only two HC spaces available. The reply further states they contacted the local PD and received permission, and as far as I can assertain, they did not. Also, the only wheelchair ramp is blocked by the chicken

David,

I contacted the owners of this Grandy's Restaurant.They told me they had the police dept. out to check the chicken in the handicap parking spot. The police told them that they can leave it there. We are sorry if it is a inconvenience to you, but I was told that they do have other handicap places to park.

Thank You

Janet Bohrer
Grandy's Corporate Office

12 Responses to “Big Rubber Chicken parked in accessible parking spaces.”

1. john says:

   21 January 2007 at 12:52 am

   I think i would have had to stabb the chicken
2. Chicken Chaser from Texas says:

   23 January 2007 at 12:19 am

   John, I felt like driving over it...Accident of course.
3. mewhitley says:

   9 May 2007 at 8:36 am

   How about dragging the ole chicken over to the boss/owners favorite parking spot at 2am while he/she is home sleeping since it doesn't appear to be a problem or inconvenience to them.
4. jagsgb says:

   11 May 2007 at 1:00 pm

   Ok, I did laugh when I saw this picture. You have to admit, a huge chicken in a parking lot is not something you see everyday. I probably would have stabbed it also. idiots, its people like that that make me so mad to not even care, and they probably didnt even think about it. or they have that attitude like "Well, not many handicap people come here anyways" UGH!!! DORKS!
5. cry mea river says:

   25 May 2007 at 3:34 pm

   This is rediculous, is the person walking impaired or vision impaired? There are clearly upfront parking spots available as well as spots less than 15 feet away! Quit your crying for equallity if you want to be "special"! You can't convince me that you or anyone else was wronged when you were obviously able to take a picture of a basically empty parking lot.
6. Webmaster says:

   25 May 2007 at 4:15 pm

   cry mea river, as I pointed out in response to another comment you left, the fact that other parking spaces are available doesn't make it any more right to block disability parking spaces.

   Also note that the chicken is blocking the only ramp access to the restaurant, so it is not only blocking parking, but access to the restaurant.
7. namwar69 says:

   8 June 2007 at 3:33 am

   Ok #4..So there are other parking spaces.Are they exact wide so a van can open the doors and drop a vamp down without hitting the car next to it? NO! Handicapped parking spaces are wider because we need the exact space to open doors and get wheelchairs out. You are not handcapped because you do not know what you are talking about.Open mouth and stupid comes out.
8. mtb says:

   9 July 2007 at 8:35 am

   I've got to agree with cry me a river. If you don't like it, don't go there. I run a business that is required to have 4 handicap spaces available out front. Very rarely do I have more than 1 handicap vehicle parked at any one time. In an effort to cater to the handicap citizens of the United States we have forgotten about the 100's of million of other individuals who shop and visit our businesses every day. We don't make any special concessions for them and they are the bulk of our clientale. I am so sick of the ADA. It was set up with good intentions but it costs businesses millions of dollars a year because of the special concessions that have to be made for hadicapped individuals who are only a fraction of our overall business.
9. Webmaster says:

   10 July 2007 at 7:16 pm

   mtb, I'm sorry you feel that way. Unfortunately, too many people appear to feel that way. The "fraction" of people with disabilities you refer to are actually one of the largest minority in the US. 20% of the American population identifies as having a disability. Perhaps you perceive accessibility as wasted money, but in fact, studies show that businesses investing in accessibility see increase revenues (don't have the reference on hand, but it was run by something like the American Hotel Association).

   I would like to remind everyone that the Americans with Disabilities Act is not a "brick & mortar" law, it is an anti-discrimination law. On the same level as the laws that forbid businesses from refusing access to African-Americans...
10. ksm says:

    15 July 2007 at 2:25 am

    mtb, What business do you run? I will make sure that I never patronize your business. Until you find yourself in a situation where you need the handicap space to park, you will never understand. I know it seems like a pain in the rear, but more than one space is very good. So what if no more than one space is taken at a time. You could always widen all of your parking spaces so it doesn't matter which one you park in. When my husband, who lost both legs, needs to get out the car and into a business, he needs to fully open the door to the car to get the wheelchair out and assemble it. He does not want to have to try to keep the door from dinging another car while trying to put the chair together. He also can not bump himself up over curbs, etc. Do you want to have an employee come out and assist him whenever he comes? Seems like a waste of manhours to me. Personally, if we go to patronize a business and there are no handicap spots, or the ONE that may be there is occupied, and there is no easy access, we find someone else to patronize. Easy as that.

    I hope you never find yourself in a position of needing a handicap space for yourself or a loved one. Don't forget, what goes around comes around worse.
11. Chowmom says:

    16 August 2007 at 4:01 am

    To the webmaster - I submit there should be a law making it illegal to be *driving* a vehicle with a disabled license plate unless the disabled person is in the vehicle, and it should be considered a violation to park such a vehicle in a non-disabled space. KSM is right - what goes around does come around, and this is one that needs to come around.

    Better yet - eliminate disabled plates altogether. You have a disability, get a placard, and remember to have it with you. Because, as God is my witness, the next brainless wonder with a disabled plate who snags the last NON-HANDICAPPED space in the hospital tower, is going to truly need that plate. (Indeed, it was especially aggravating when no fewer than 12 disabled parking spaces were available that particular morning!)
12. Lynn W says:

    23 September 2007 at 6:35 pm

    Chowmom, I would like to say I dont CARE that you were affrivated. I have a plate and I use it when my husband is with me, I am not disabled so I dont use it when he is not since it is against the law. I have more aggrivation than you will ever know. I have to get the ramps out and then set up and then I have to help him get into the car and then when we get where we are going I have to look for a spot that will acomadate him. Most of the time I have to park in the back to be able to get 2 free spaces since even a handicap space is not large enough and then I have to do it over again. SO dont complain to us who have disabled family that you were AGGRIVATED, how about you not be so selfish and think that it may have been the one time they got to go out with some aggrivation.